2 Bean, Chorizo and Spinach Soup

I love soup and am always on the lookout for new flavors and combinations to try.  I found this recipe on one of the blogs I follow and decided to make it because it contains Chorizo which I love.  I adapted the recipe quite a bit to suit me but followed the same principle. It was quite simple to make and it tasted quite nice once I’d added the chilli.

Adapted recipe and pictures by Amanzi Fundu

Original Recipe from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:

½ cup Chorizo, diced

1 x Tablespoon oil

1x Onion, diced

3 x Dried Chilli’s, crushed

1 x can tomatoes, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 x Liter Chicken Stock

1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 x can of butter beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups of fresh Spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

In a pot, heat the oil.

Add the onion and fry until translucent.

Add the garlic and chilli and stir.

Add the chorizo and cook for 2 mins.

Add the tomatoes and stock.

Add the beans and cook for about 5 mins.

Using a potato masher, gently mash some of the beans.

Add the spinach.

Cook for a further 5 mins.

Italian Wedding Soup

There are endless variations on this soup, but the main elements are meatballs and greens. In my recipe, I make beef meatball and add plenty of kale for the green component. While the name indicates that the soup might be served at an Italian wedding, it is actually a mistranslation of minestra maritata, which refers to the "marriage" of greens and meat in the soup.

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, beaten

Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped white onions
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 Tablespoons mixed herbs

1 Teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Pint chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 cup uncooked orzo (or any pasta you have)
2 cups shredded kale

Method

For the meatballs, put beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and egg into a large bowl and use your hands to mix well. Use a teaspoon to measure out meat for even sized meatballs. With damp hands, shape them into 1-inch balls and transfer them to a large plate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the soup, melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and 2 cups water. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat or until soup comes to a boil.

Add meatballs and Pasta to the boiling soup and stir to make sure they are fully submerged. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes over medium heat. Stir in kale. Test a meatball and a piece of orzo to ensure that they are fully cooked. Season according to taste.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Classic chicken noodle soup is a comfort food suitable for any time of the year, but especially during cold winter months and when you are ill. There is a reason why it is called Jewish penicillin!

 Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
(6- to 7-pound) chicken, sliced into strips
2 quarts chicken Stock
1 quart cold water, or as needed
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups egg noodles

Method:
Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions stirring soft.
Add the chicken to the pot and pour in the broth. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches.
Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Let stand 5 minutes.
Discard the chicken skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the noodles and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Stir the meat back into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Butternut Soup

Butternut soup is a favorite South African starter. The butternut has a flavor all on its own and it is great to serve it as a starter before a good roast beef or lamb.

Ingredients:
2 medium butternuts
2 medium onions
50g butter/margarine (4T)
7 ml medium curry powder (1 ¼ t)
40 g cake flour (4 T)
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 chicken stock cubes
750 ml boiling water
500 ml milk
7 ml salt (1 ½ t)


Method:
Cut the butternuts in half and roast until tender.
Peel the onions and chop roughly.
In a large saucepan, saute the chopped onions in the butter/margarine.
Add the curry powder and fry the mixture lightly.
When the butternut is cooked take it out the oven an remove from the skin.
Add the butternut and saute the mixture for a while. Add the flour and nutmeg and stir-fry lightly.
Dissolve the chicken stock cubes in the boiling water.
Add the stock, together with the milk, and salt, to the butternut mixture.
Boil, with the lid on, over moderate heat until the butternut pieces are soft. Stir the mixture occasionally.
Puree or blend until smooth.
The colour of the soup should be a deep yellow and the texture creamy.
Serve the soup hot.

Please note:
I served my soup in the skin.